The Knight Foundation is Betraying its Mission
By sponsoring a journalism event featuring Tucker Carlson, the philanthropy is mistaking openness for strengthening democracy.
“A well-functioning democracy depends on healthy and trusted public and private institutions; an economy that provides broad-based opportunity and prosperity; tolerance and respect for one another and our differences; and a vibrant civic life.”
Those are the first words from the Knight Foundation on a post published November 9, 2020, introducing a collection of essays on “Democracy and Civic Life: What is the Long Game for Philanthropy?”
In their own introduction to the collection, Knight Foundation President/CEO Alberto Imbarguen and Vice President/Chief Program Officer Sam Gill wrote, “Rebuilding and reforming our democracy will require interventions that respond to both our near-term challenges and the underlying long-term phenomena. We need to get control of Covid-19. We need to provide economic relief to struggling Americans. We need to ensure free and fair elections and get back to a point where the results are regarded as legitimate by the vast majority of Americans. We need immediate action to reverse racial oppression. Addressing these challenges now is necessary.”
